Palmetto Golf Course

The course was in terrible shape and I understand they got rain the day before. But that doesn’t excuse the conduit of the greens and tee boxes.

Their website claims it is Miami’s favorite golf course since 1959. I think they meant to say it was Miami’s favorite golf course IN 1959. I was under the false impression that $65/person would yield a decent to nice golf course experience. Here are a few things that made this $65 course play like a course valued at MAYBE $20 as a municipal in a rural town…

- Greens were punched and in horrible condition. It was like putting over rumble strips in places. Dead grass and sand everywhere. Landing a ball on the green and seeing a little puff of dust (post rain) will make the heart break every time. The flags were all different colors as well, which was odd.

- Fairways were in “fair” condition. Not pristine, not abhorrent, but not great. Cart path only due to rain. Grass clippings clumped together throughout the rough.

- Facilities were down. No bathrooms in the clubhouse (due to construction) to wash hands after handling your ball that no doubt came into contact with duck scat on the fairways, but feel free to use the porta potties outside or one of the restrooms on the course.

- No bag drop. That was weird. Wouldn’t have been a problem if carts could have gone in the parking lot. But alas, that was not allowed.

- The layout was peculiar. Lots of straight holes patchworked between industrial piping flanked by busy roads. Totally uninspired, totally bland, not a single hole offering intrigue. If you like iguanas and ducks, there’s no shortage of those. Aside from that, not a whole lot of “nature” on the course.

- The staff wasn’t rude, but they weren’t friendly either. Not a cheerful smile, no small talk even when I engaged with them, no “good luck out there!” or other chummy banter. Felt like they wanted you to get in and get out. Now.

The whole thing felt like I was golfing at the DMV, which shouldn’t surprise me because the course is in fact run by Miami-Dade County. If you’ve made it this far, you might be tempted to play it just to see if it’s really that bad. I’d implore you to save the four and a half hours and $65. I’m not a review guy, probably because I’m long winded and have a penchant for sarcasm. Also, leaving negative reviews in general is kind of wack. This is in fact my first GolfNow review. And maybe this is what $65/person gets you in Miami. And I do hope they’re working to improve the experience, because this course has potential to be more than it is. But this day? This round? My advice is to pass.

You get what you pay for. Its not a fancy country club but it's a solid course with excellent management.

I had a good time, but as stated in other comments the greens need work. The issue I had was the Teenagers, they were driving their carts all over and 2 picked up my ball. The Teenagers need to learn Golf Etiquette before being left on their own.

The property is nice, but the day I played it the course was in terrible condition. The fairways were so bad that you had to replace your ball to take the shot. Greens were pretty slow because it probably wasn’t cut in a few weeks.

They need to fix the greens and the rough has to much debris that you can’t find your ball

One of the better golf courses in Miami, although it can be a bit challenging.

Some of the best off course amenities with a lighted and covered driving range and a putting green. Also the best chicken wings in Miami at the Sports Grill.

The staff, like Mecca, make you feel welcome at all times.

What in the world happened to this place? It used to be ok. And by that I mean a basic muni with muni pricing and muni amenities. Now they’re asking $75 for a 4:25 tee off on a 90°+ Saturday?! Walking! They’ve lost their minds at Palmetto. I used to pay $27 in a not so distant past.

And then there’s the fact the greens are in bad shape. All the putts looked like they were bullriding, jumping all over the place. Several greens had bald spots, several others had patches that were raised and lumpy. Just godawful conditions. No beverage cart, clueless proshop personnel, what’s a ranger? Took me 4 hours to play 17. I had to jump ahead of a twosome playing at a glacial pace. There wasn’t anyone on at 4:30 and it still took forever.

I’m saddened by the state this course is in. I used to love it. But I don’t have any reason to come back and after this review, you shouldn’t either.